For characters of levels 7-9

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Swamplight is an adventure designed for

experienced characters. This module requires
that the PCs have more than strong sword
arms and flashy spells. They must think and
make careful decisions, as their actions will
determine whether good is aided or whether
they unknowingly assist the villains in their
ultimate, evil goal.
Introduction ....................................... 1 The adventure is suited for player charac-
Adventure Background ........................ 2 ters of 7th through 9th level. If using this
Running the Encounters ..................... 6 adventure with lower level player characters
A. Living Trees ................................. 8 with little magic, the DM might have to cut
B. Evil Fog.. ....................................... .9 back on the number of creatures encountered.
C. Favorable Fog ............................. .10 For example, if the PCs encounter the algoids
D. Hunting Party ............................. .12 and the animated trees, use fewer trees. Do
E. Deadly Darters ............................. .13 not lower the number of lizard men in the vil-
F. False Heroes ................................ .14 lage of Fen, as the PCs true goal does not lie
G. Temple Ruins.. .............................. .15 in defeating peaceful, neutral creatures.
H. Village of the Lizard Men ...............18 This adventure easily can accommodate
I. Swamplight ................................... .27 higher level PCs or PCs who have a wealth of
J. Headed for Danger ....................... .28 magic at their command; simply add to the
K. Double Danger ............................. .29 number of creatures encountered and boost
L. Lair of the Rajah .......................... .30 their hit points. The rakshasa rajah could be
Resolution ......................................... .32 changed into a maharajah, which is more
powerful and has more spells.
Credits Although there is plenty of fighting, Swamp-
Design: Jean Rabe light stresses problem solving and role play-
Editing: Lance Kandler ing. The adventure presented to the players is
Cover Illustration: Paul Jaquays much more involved below the surface, and
Interior Illustrations:Terry Dykstra in reality things are not the way they seem.
Cartography: John Knecht Creatures that look like something are indeed
Typography: Angelika Lokotz something else, and jumping to conclusions
could get the PCs in trouble and prevent them
ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and AD&D are registered
trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.
from achieving their aim.
MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM and the TSR logo are trademarks Experience points are listed with each crea-
owned by TSR, Inc.
01993 TSR, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
ture encountered, so killing monsters will
Random House and its affiliate companies have worldwide distribu- gain the PCs the amount specified. However,
tion rights in the book trade for English language products. Distrib-
uted to the book and hobby trade in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd.
the PCs should get additional experience
Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. points if they find the real menace in the
This product is protected under the copyright laws of the United States
of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the mater-
adventure and defeat it. The amount of expe-
ial or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express writ- rience awarded is left up to the DM.
ten permission of TSR, Inc.

ISBN 0-56076-588-7 9424xxx1501

1
 For many decades, the city of Chala, nestled foot tall gold and platinum statue of the deity,
on the banks of the Leal River, boasted a pros- a beautiful woman with the head of a lion.
perous fishing business. The community's life To the people of Chala, Tefnut represents the
revolved around the wide, slowly rolling moisture in the atmosphere and is responsible
river that meandered miles northward into for the rains that keep the river wide and full
the Blackweed Swamp. of life. The interior of her temple smells like
Men trained their sons and daughters to be the earth after a steady shower. The statue in
fishermen and taught them how to trap the her image, which was crafted by one of the vil-
large lizards that lived on the banks of the lage elders more than 40 years ago, is worth
river and in the swamp. The strongest youths thousands of gold pieces. The statue's eyes are
were schooled in building flat, maneuverable flawless blue sapphires which nearly match
boats that could easily navigate the shallows the color of the Leal, and the statue is admired
and avoid becoming hung up on the massive by all those who enter the temple and gaze
willow tree roots that edged far into the water. upon the religious work of art.
Craftsmen created wondrous lures to catch Unfortunately for Chala, someone did more
the biggest of fish that hugged the bottom, than look. Four weeks ago, an acolyte of Tef-
and artisans fashioned fine jewelry from pol- nut discovered that the statue was missing.
ished stones pulled from the riverbed and Immediately the council of elders was con-
made boots and other garments from lizard vened and the village was searched. No sign
skins. of the statue was found. The elders feared
The city enjoyed lucrative trading contracts that the increasing presence of visiting city
with merchants from communities inland and officials, many of whom had seen the statue,
to the south. As the city grew, young men were responsible. While the visiting officials
traveled to Chala to seek adventure in the were quickly proven innocent with detect Zie
swamp to the north, or to marry and establish spells cast by the Tefnut clerics, the elders
gainful river-related careers. believed that the officials had related informa-
Officials from southern inland cities ad- tion about the temple and the statue to others
mired Chala, and many secretly dreamed of in their home communities, tempting listen-
running a community as affluent and inde- ing thieves.
pendent. Some made trips to Chala to study The visiting officials lent their support to
the city's government to learn if there was finding the statue, not wanting trade between
something other than the river contributing to Chala and their home communities soured by
its fortune. the theft. The officials called upon skilled
The people of Chala quickly welcomed trackers to aid in the search, and they were at
these officials, treating them like royal visitors last partially rewarded.
and regaling them with stories of the river The trackers discovered bits of moss in the
and the city's past. The Chalans explained temple, moss that could have only come from
they did indeed owe their happiness to the the Blackweed Swamp to the north. Further-
great Leal, but the river, their good fortune, more, outside the temple and at spots along the
the prosperous fishing industry, and their fine riverbank, they noticed humanoid, webbed
crafts were all gifts of their god, Tefnut. In- tracks-the footprints of lizard men.
deed, the largest structure in Chala was a tem- Immediately, a band of adventurers was
ple that honored the god, and inside it rested sent into the swamp to find the lizard men
the community's most valuable treasure-a 1- and regain the statue of Tefnut. That was

2
nearly four weeks ago and those adventurers, The Real Story
and four other parties who followed them,
have not returned. There is much more to the theft of the
As the next few weeks passed, fishermen statue, of course, and Tefnut is not bringing
began disappearing, leaving only their empty tragedy upon the city. Unbeknownst to the
boats floating on the Leal. The few young people of Chala, lizard men had nothing to do
men who ventured up the banks of the river with the theft.
and into the swamp in search of their missing A small group of rakshasa, lead by an exiled,
fathers also disappeared. Trappers were dis- over-ambitious rajah, has settled in the swamp.
covered clawed to death near their traps, yet They have been feasting off the occasional
no animal tracks were seen anywhere within band of adventurers who traveled through the
several feet the bodies. quagmire in search of excitement and riches,
The once-prosperous city was thrown into and small hunting parties of lizard men.
panic, and the Tefnut clerics began preaching The rakshasas sought isolation so they
that disaster was at hand because the people could scheme to regain control of the rakshasa
allowed the god's statue to be stolen. They community from which they were banished.
warned that if the statue was not recovered, However, when they discovered the teeming
and the lizard men punished, Chala would city of Chala and the lizard men village, they
fall into ruin and the population would die at decided the lizard men and the humans
the hands of the lizard men. would have to leave. To this end, the raksha-
sas studied both communities and decided to If one of the PCs is a cleric to a god from the
start a war between the two. Egyptian mythos, he or she could have
The statue of Tefnut was taken by a rak- learned of the statues theft and be asked to
shasa, in the guise of a lizard man, in an at- lend aid.
tempt to precipitate the conflict. Using spells One of the player characters relatives, or
to hide his presence, the rakshasa sneaked into perhaps an NPC acquaintance, is living in
the lizard men village and placed the statue on Chala. The individual contacts the PC and
top of the villages totem; this would incrimi- explains the towns woes and need for
nate the lizard men. assistance.
If everything works according to the rak- No matter what avenue the DM selects, the
shasas plans, at least one and possibly both adventure should begin with the players
communities will be wiped out, and the rak- introduction below. It will serve to provide the
shasas will have their solitude-and plenty of PCs with a little background information.
bodies to feast on. Chala is not detailed, as the adventure does
It is into this dangerous and deadly situa- not involve moving about the community. It is
tion the player characters are plunged. a sizable river community, with buildings and
All of the rakshasas in the Blackweed Swamp docks all along the riverside and extending as
have adopted the guise of lizard men. This will much as a half-mile away from the river.
make it difficult for the PCs to realize what
they face until it is possibly too late. Players Introduction
Getting the PCs Involved
A grim-faced man approaches and intro-
There are several avenues to get a group of duces himself as Vant, chief village elder.
player characters involved in this adventure, Behind him are other elders and many citi-
fitting the action nicely into an active cam- zens of Chala.
paign. Our city teeters on the brink of disaster,
The PCs could have simply heard about Vant mutters gravely. Our lives are in jeop-
Chalas misfortune and their own opportu- ardy because the statue of our goddess was
nity to make a handsome profit if they spirited from our temple. Trackers say
recover the missing statue. lizard men took the statue, but I believe it
Perhaps the PCs are traveling through the was our own complacency that caused it to
area and come upon the beleaguered river be ripped from our midst. We did not guard
community. the golden and platinum image of Tefnut.
If the PCs are inland, a government leader The chief elder explains about the glories
sympathetic to Chalas problems could hire of Tefnut and how the goddess is responsi-
them to recover the statue. The leader does ble for the success of their fishing industry.
not want to lose trade with the river town He pauses and glumly adds that since the
and will reward the PCs for saving Chalas disappearance of the statue, the goddess
fishing industry. has been seeking vengeance-fishermen
If one of the PCs is a druid, he or she could have not returned, trappers have been
hear of marauding bands of lizard men killed by unknown causes.
who are killing humans and denizens of the The elder begs you to aid their cause.
swamp.
 It is up to the PCs whether they agree to aid sweetwater-all the magic remaining from the
Chala. If they appear indecisive, Vant sug- temple.
gests that Chala is only the beginning-other The map Vant presents is the one on the
cities in the area will be visited by disaster as inside front cover. To keep the players from
Tefnuts rage grows. He says even adventur- seeing the DMs map on the inside back cover,
ers such as themselves will not be safe. It is photocopy the players map and let them
better to right the situation now. keep it for reference, or bend the cover back to
Chalans come forth and plead with the PCs keep your map hidden.
to help their cause, promising the player char- The PCs are encouraged to start the quest
acters what wealth they have stored away in right away. However, if they want to ask the
their homes. elders or citizens questions, the chief elder
Eventually, the PCs should agree. In the will not object. Careful questioning will reveal
event they do not, the rakshasas may disguise the following information:
themselves as lizard men and attack or kid- No one saw the thief or thieves. The theft
nap the PCs. occurred late at night when nearly every-
If the PCs tell Vant they will help Chala, he one was asleep. A young man getting his
provides more information: fishing equipment ready for a dawn trip
reported seeing twinkling lights floating at
the edge of the city. They drifted north into
We know our statue lies in the Blackweed the swamp.
Swamp. Our clerics tell us this. But those A patch of moss was found inside the tem-
who tried to find it have not returned. All ple. The moss must have come from the
we can see in the swamps murky depths Blackweed Swamp. The PCs are welcome
are twinkling lights that dance amid the to take the moss with them.
trees-doubtless the lights carried by the Lizard men tracks were found outside the
thieving lizard men. You are our last hope, temple and along the riverbank. Never
Vant states. You must recover the statue of before had lizard men tracks-or any other
Tefnut. Surely a band such as yours will humanoid tracks-been noted near Chala.
have little difficulty dealing with lizard Chala residents did not know there were
men. Once the statue is back, we will be any lizard men living nearby. However, the
redeemed in the eyes of our goddess, and presence of lizard men does not surprise
Chala will be saved. We will reward you them. There are a variety oiClizard-creatures
greatlv. We will give you one-fourth of the in the swamp, some of which the citizens
income from our fishing industry for the trap for food and to fashion boots and other
next year if you can bring the statue back to apparel.
the temple. Shortly after the statue disappeared, fisher-
men were found missing. Their boats were
The chief elder presents you with a map de- recovered and there was no evidence of a
tailing the Blackweed Swamp and the area struggle. The bodies of trappers were found
where the fishermen and the trappers disap- mangled, but there were no tracks within
peared. He wishes you well and bids you several feet of the bodies.
return quickly with the statue. If the PCs ask
for assistance, Vant presents them with two
potions of extra healing and three vials of

5
 Consult the DMs maps as the PCs travel in effort to destroy the PCs. The rakshasas know
the swamp. If the characters come near a let- the PCs cannot return to Chala with word that
tered area, they discover the clues specified the lizard men are innocent. If necessary, the
by the corresponding letter in the text or rakshasas will attempt to destroy the PCs
encounter the various creatures. Their pres- themselves.
ence at some of these locations will alert the Encounters with and the further tactics of
rakshasas. This is noted in the text. the rakshasas are detailed toward the end of
Sightings of various snakes and lizards this adventure.
from the Monstrous CompendiumsTMcan be
sprinkled throughout the trip for variety. Tefnuts Fury
The Rakshasas Tactics It is possible the PCs will fall for the raksha-
sas plans and attempt to kill all the lizard
Once the rakshasas know the PCs are in the men in the Blackweed Swamp. Indeed, it is
swamp, they will attempt to lead the PCs to also possible the PCs will defeat the lizard
the lizard men, hoping the PCs or the lizard men and the rakshasas, thereby wiping out
men will be killed. If the PCs discover the both good and evil in the swamp.
lizard men are not to blame, the rakshasas try However, the lizard men are not to blame
to lure them to the hydras in the swamp in an for Chalas woes, and therefore the PCs will

6
be penalized for attacking the innocent swamp mersed up to their waist and must roll an
dwellers. Intelligence check on ld20 (rangers pass this
Tefnut has taken notice of the situation in check automatically). Failure means the char-
the Blackweed Swamp and is watching what acter has panicked, is beginning to sink, and
transpires with some interest. The good- needs help to escape. Success means the char-
aligned goddess has no plan to interfere di- acter has kept his wits about him and can
rectly with what is going on in the swamp. work to free himself. If this character is unar-
However, she has decided to favor the lizard mored, he can tread or carefully swim to
men of Blackweed, who are now holding her firm ground.
statue in esteem (see the lizard men village Panicked characters can be rescued by
section for more information.) being lassoed, by having a branch or pole
Because of Tefnuts favor, PCs who kill any extended to them, or by having a swimmer
of Blackweeds lizard men will suffer penal- enter the quicksand and pull them to safety.
ties that likely will not be noticed initially. The Other possibilities can work depending on
penalties begin with saving throws. For every the cleverness of the players. Panicked PCs
lizard man killed, the offending character suf- sink at a rate of one foot per round. A sub-
fers a -1 penalty on all saving throws. This merged character remains alive under the
penalty is cumulative. quicksand for rounds equal to one-half his
When PCs saving throws have been re- Constitution score rounded up. After that
duced to nil, they begin to lose one point from time, the character has suffocated.
their prime attributes. This penalty is also Bogs: In Blackweed Swamp, these are more
cumulative. deadly than quicksand. The bogs are filled
All attribute scores and saving throws will with mud, sand, and tangles of plants and
be returned to full if the PCs realize they are tree roots.
doing wrong and take steps to defeat the true Bogs in the swamp range from 4 to nine 9
evil in Blackweed Swamp. feet deep (ld6+3). Characters who fall in a
PC clerics casting divination or augury spells bog might or might not be submerged based
can determine that saving throw penalties on the depth of the bog. They must roll an
and attribute losses are caused by the PCs Intelligence check at -3 on l d 2 0 (rangers pass
doing wrong deeds. this check automatically). Failure means the
The DM must keep track of the PCs actions character has panicked and must be rescued.
and the number of lizard men killed to cor- Characters who are successful with the saving
rectly apply any penalties. throw can attempt to swim to safety at a -3
proficiency penalty because of the weeds and
Blackweed Swamp roots. Characters can be rescued with the
methods suggested under quicksand. Char-
Consult the DMs map when running this acters who are submerged or who cannot
scenario to determine where the PCs are trav- swim can hold their breaths for one-half their
eling. PCs wandering into bogs and quick- Constitution score rounded up before they are
sand pools could quickly find themselves in considered drowned. Characters in heavy
trouble. armor or who are heavily loaded down can-
Quicksand: The quicksand in the swamp not swim in a bog.
is more mud than sand. Characters who fall in
quicksand immediately find themselves im-
Tracking In the Swamp colony. These algoids have decided to kill the
men before any more harm comes to them-
PCs with the Tracking proficiency are prob- selves.
ably going to try to locate lizard men tracks or The algoids begin their assault by animat-
other prints in the swamp. Tracking in the ing willow, cypress and oak trees, and using
swamp is difficult because of the soggy the plants to kill the humans. When eight or
ground, bogs, and quicksand. more of the trees have been killed, the algoids
However, tracking is impossible. Assign -2 join the fray. They fight to the death.
to -4 penalties to Tracking proficiency checks, The algoids attack by pounding with their
depending on where the PCs are. Tracks they fists. On a roll of 19 or 20, algoids inflict their
can find include: lizard men, large lizards, maximum of 10 points of damage per attack
jaguar, basilisk, bear, giants, boars and wolves. and stun their victim for 1-4 rounds.
The swamp is not a likely home for all of Blunt weapons inflict normal damage on
these creatures. However, some of the tracks algoids. However, edged weapons have no
were left by the rakshasas with the boots ofzlar- effect unless they are +2 or better. Further,
ied tracks. these magical edged weapons inflict only half
There is no way the PCs follow tracks di- damage on the algoids.
rectly to the rakshasas. Rakshasas are spirits The spells lower water, part water and destroy
and do not leave any tracks they dont want to. water inflict 1-6 points of damage per level of
the spell caster (maximum 10d6).Other spells,
A. Living Trees except fire-based and electrical-based ones,
work normally.
The leafy canopy is so thick here that little Algoids (6):AL CN; AC 5; MV 6; HD 5; hp 25,
light filters through. What light does, 27,28,36,37,40; THACO 15; #AT 2; Dmg 1-
streams down between black branches l O / l - l O ; SA Stun; SD Immune to edged
draped with moss and vines. Small lizards weapons less than +2, immune to fire and
dart about massive roots that sink into electrical attacks; Sz M (5-7); ML 11; XP
ponds of unknown depths. 420 each.
The scene is at once beautiful and fright-
ening, and the air is still. Not even the Animated willow trees (4): AL Nil; AC 8; MV
sounds of birds or insects are present to 3; HD 6; hp 30,35,36,42; THACO 15; #AT 2;
keep you company. Dmg 1-10/1-10; SA Nil; SD Nil; Sz H (18-
As you survey the scene, movement 22 tall); ML 11;XP 270 each.
catches your eye. You had to look twice to
be sure what you saw. A tree is moving. Animated cypress trees (2):AL Nil; AC 6; MV
No, several trees. They seem to be closing 3; HD 7; hp 54,47; THACO 14; #AT 2; Dmg
in on you. 1-10/110; AL Nil; SD Nil; Sz G (30-40 tall);
ML 11;XP 270 each.
The trees have been animated by a small
group of algoids who are distressed at the Animated water oaks (6):AL Nil; AC 7; MV 3;
increasing presence of men in the swamp (the HD 6; hp 29,30,36,37,40,41; THACO 15;
adventurers looking for the statue). The last #AT 2; Dmg 1-10/1-10; SA Nil; SD Nil; Sz H
band through this area killed half of the algoid (18-25tall); ML X; XP 270 each.

8
 After the battle, if the PCs search the bases
of trees in the area, they discover a huge cy- Were tired and low on food. In the dis-
press tree with a hollowed-out trunk. Inside tance, probably about a mile to the north-
the wet trunk are the possessions of the other east, we can see a stream of smoke rising
adventurers the algoids defeated: bones through the trees. Must be ,a campfire or a
enough for three skeletons (although the cooking fire. Maybe the home of the lizard
adventurers died a little less than a week ago, men, maybe something else. Were going to
the denizens of the swamp stripped them), investigate. Hopefully the smoke will lead
two suits of studded leather armor (in poor us to the lizard men. If not, well have to
condition because of the water and moss), a turn back and get more supplies.
long sword, a two-handed sword, a small
shield, a ruined leather pouch containing sil-
~~~ ~

ver-plated thieves tools), a ruined canvas sack Were sopping wet and about a quarter-
with 21 coppers, 12 silvers and a 150 gp pearl, mile from what looks like a village.
Thatched houses, movement. Stile says he
and a damaged leather backpack containing
sees lizard men tracks. Well, this must be
30 feet of rope, a full wineskin and a book.
Although most of the pages have been ruined it.
because of the water, a few are still partially
legible. The book appears to be a diary, and
Tefnut be praised. The village elders will
the following passages can be read. Each para-
graph represents a separate entry. be so happy!

If the characters cast speak with dead on the

Hosky, Stile and myself have been wan- skeletons, they learn that the trio discovered a
dering in this gods-forsaken swamp for lizard men village (but cant 1;ive good direc-
three days now. We have caught a few tions because they got lost again before they
glimpses of lizard men-hunting parties I died). In the center of the village, they saw a
believe. When we tried to track them, we totem pole with the gold and platinum statue
only managed to get ourselves lost. I know of Tefnut on top. There seemed to be a couple
between the three of us we could take on a dozen lizard men-too many for them to
dozen lizard men. We just have to be able tackle. They decided to turn back and get help.
to catch up with them. They move so quickly They were killed by moving trees and patches
through the swamp. of moss (the algoids).

The fourth night out w e saw a pair of

B. Evll Fog
ghostlv lights flickering between a pair of
cypress trees. Lanterns maybe. They were Wisps of fog curl about the bases of willow
too uneven to be the eyes of something. trees, seemingly caressing the damp bark.
Good thing for us. Would have followed The fog nearly covers the ground, evidence
them, except Hosky twisted his ankle after that the earth is warmer here than the air.
falling into a bog. He cant move too well Moss grows up the sides of: the trees and
now. stretches outward on the bottom branches.
 Fog giants (4): AL NE; AC 1; MV 15; HD 14;
Black birds perch high in the branches, hp 80,84,86,100; THACO 7; #AT 1; Dmg 1-
squawking in high-pitched tones. The 10 or by weapon (3-18 +ll); SA Rock hurl-
scene is eerie and dismal. ing (2-20 points of damage); SD 45% chance
to catch large weapons hurled at them; Sz
The moss on the trees is the same type that H (24 tall); ML 14; XI 7,000 each.
was found in the temple of Tefnut in Chala.
PCs with the Herbalism proficiency who These giants have an 80% chance to blend
make a successful proficiency check notice the into the fog, giving their foes a -5 penalty to
moss. PCs with the Agriculture proficiency surprise rolls. The giants keen senses make it
have a -4 penalty to notice the moss. Druid difficult to surprise them: they gain a +2 on
PCs who roll less than their Wisdom on ld20 their surprise rolls.
also note that the moss is the same type found Each giant has a sack strapped to his waist
in the Chala temple. with four rocks for hurling. In addition, the
After the PCs have been in this area for sev- largest giant also has a ring of water walking on
eral minutes, the fog becomes thicker to the one little finger and the ring ofspell storing on
north, reducing visibility and setting the the other with the spells wall of fog, solid fog,
mood for the next encounter. This is a result of web, telekinesis and hold person mentioned
a fog cloud. above.
A quartet of fog giants, working for the If the characters defeat the giants and
lizard king, patrol this section of the swamp search the bodies, they find a total of 450 gp
to make sure that nobody trespasses further and 240 sp on the bodies of the three smaller
north. The giants, one of whom placed thefog giants. Searching the body of the larger giant
cloud, are allowed to keep all valuables col- reveals the two rings as well as 100 gp, 25 sp
lected from the bodies of slain trespassers. In and three emeralds worth 1,000 g p each.
exchange, the lizard king and his followers Questioning any captured giants reveals
have promised to leave the giants alone. The that they are currently working for the lizard
lizard king killed one of the giants brethren king, a very powerful lizard man who wan-
earlier as a demonstration of his power to ders the swamp alone or with two attendants.
guarantee their cooperation. Further use of a The giants have been directed to kill all tres-
potion of giant control on the largest of the fog passers. The giants know nothing about a
giants cemented the relationship. gold and platinum statue.
The giants fight until only one remains, If the PCs fight the giants at all, even if they
then he attempts to escape. kelly them all, the rakshasas will be alerted to
The giants tactics are simple: surround the the PCs presence. See the rakshasa section at
PCs, using the fog for cover. Three of the the end of this module for more information.
giants begin their assault by throwing rocks.
The third giant, using his pinky ring ofspell C. Favorable Fog
storing, casts web, anchoring the strands to the
tree. He follows that attack with slow and tele-
kinesis. He saves solid fog to help cover an es- Fog blankets the ground, covering the
cape. The giant has no qualms about using all pools of stagnant water and hiding the
the spells in the ring, as he assumes he can get hundreds of insects that flit all about. In
other such treasures from dead adventurers. I I

10
 I
.. . - ,,
- 1

places, tendrils of fog curl about the trunks of increased activity in the swamp and are
of cypress and willow trees, like a snake bothered by the deaths of lizard men and
coiling. Little light filters down here, as the humans.
canopy is so dense. The leader has a terrible sense of forebod-
The air feels heavy, oppressive, and the ing and believes something dreadful will hap-
humidity is uncomfortable. pen in Blackweed Swamp. The giants want to
As you move on, a booming voice cuts talk to the PCs. Of course, depending the PCs
across the tableau. actions, the giants may not get a chance.
Little men. What do you want in our If the PCs attack the fog giants, they fight
swamp, little men? If you are not careful, back, hurling rocks until the PCs close to
you will die here. Many dangers hide in the melee. These giants fight to the death in de-
swamp. A large head pokes out from be- fense of the swamp.
hind a thick cyprus tree. It is a giant! Behind
him, you see the forms of four more. Fog giants (5): AL NG; AC 1; MV 15; HD 14;
hp 73,84,88,90,94; THACO 7; #AT 1; Dmg
1-10 or by weapon (3-18 +ll); SA Rock hurl-
The voice belongs to the leader of a fog ing (2-20 points of damage); SD 45% chance
giant band. These five giants, of good align- to catch large weapons hurled at them; Sz
ment, d o not associate with the giants at H (24 tall); ML 14; XP 7,000 each.
point B on the map. The quintet is aware

11
 These giants have an 80% chance to blend the lights, which they believe are faeries-
into the fog, giving their foes a -5 penalty to or lanterns. When the giants have reached
surprise rolls. The giants keen senses make it the area where the lights were, they found
difficult to surprise them: they gain a +2 on only the tracks of lizard men.
their surprise rolls. The giants encourage the PCs to leave the
If the PCs do not attack the giants, the quin- lizard men alone, as the lizard men belong in
tet comes forward to talk. The giants want to the swamp and the PCs do not. The giants will
know where the PCs are from and why so not help the PCs find the lizard men, nor will
many humans have been entering Blackweed they guide them anywhere in the swamp.
Swamp. They dont object to the presence of However, if the PCs have acted kindly to the
humans, but they dont like the humans kill- giants, one of them offers to heal an injured
ing the peaceful lizard men. Of course, one of character. The giant places a periapt of wound
the giants will admit that he witnessed a trio closure on a PC, saying the magical item was
of lizard men killing a group of trappers, but it really too small to be used by a giant. This offer
is possible the lizarjd men were provoked. The is not made if none of the PCs (appearhurt.
lizard men have never bothered the fog giants. If the PCs fought and killed the giants, they
If the PCs question the giants, they can recover a total of 200 gp, 140 sp, a gold, cop-
learn the following. per and amethyst bracelet worth 3,400 gp.
The village of lizard men is to the northeast, and the periapt of wound closure.
where the river forks. The lizard men are
fishermen and trappers. D. Hunting Party
The lizard men have a new top for their
totem-a shiny piece of gold and silver There are several Ds on the DMs map. In
(these fog giants have not seen platinum each one of these sections a lizard men hunt-
and did not get close enough to see that the ing party is searching for food, and there are
piece was a woman with a lions head). The plenty of lizard men tracks all around. The
ornament was added sometime within the lizard men are ignoring small birds and
past month. lizards in preference to finding such things as
The giants occasionally trade with the giant constrictors, giant owls, giant lizards,
lizard men village, especially when hunting fire lizards, and jaguars.
is poor for them. The fog giants have be- The lizard men are being quiet, so they do
come very fond of the giant catfish that the not scare their prey. Because of their stealth,
lizard men catch and they pay for them and because they know the swamp so well,
with coins and other valuables. the PCs can only discover these hunting par-
One of the lizard men that wanders the ties by successfully following the lizard men
swamp, usually alone, is a lizard king. He tracks or by using the following nonweapon
wears ornate clothes and commands magic. proficiencies: Alertness, Hunting, or Trailing.
The giants are certain he is formidable and Of course, PCs who can cast spedc with animals
have stayed away from him. or speak with plants can also locate the lizard
In addition to the lizard men, Blackweed men.
Swamp is filled with evil fog giants, large If the PCs find the hunting party, describe
lizards, very, very large lizards, snakes of the band, their weapons and their actions. It
various sizes, and blinking lights. The fog appears that the lizard men are tracking some-
giants have never gotten close enough to thing (game). The lizard men will not attack
the PCs unless the PCs attack or threaten tions. Humans are not welcorr
them. These lizard men are tolerant of other and the PCs would be mucl
creatures so long as they do not scare away the stayed far away. If the PCs ma
game in the swamp. are going to the lizard men vi.
The FCs must be able to speak lizard man ing party orders them from
or use spells to converse. The hunting bands offers to escort them to the so
do not know other languages. If the PCs suc- the swamp. If the PCs refus
cessfully talk to the lizard men, they can learn lizard men follow them, attac
the following. If the PCs capture and question attempt to enter the village.
the lizard men, they also learn the following It is possible for the PCs to c(
information, but in bits and pieces that are ing party that they need to spe
laced with threats. lage leader. Use some judgml
Lizard men do not like humans, but they PCs make a unified, convincii
tolerate them. They would prefer if the hu- the hunting party will escort
mans would stay out of Blackweed Swamp, village and the other half w
as the human trappers who come into the search for game. Refer to the v
swamp cut down the available game. the lizard men take the PCs t h
The lizard men rarely leave the swamp, These lizard men each carry
although occasionally scouts are sent to waterskin, a sack of dried f
observe the city on the river to make sure knife, and several empty sac1
the humans there are not planning any- leather sacks contain three d
thing harmful to the lizard men. strictors. The lizard men carrv
The lizard men community has acquired a
new ornament for the village totem. The Lizard men hunting party (14
glittering statue of gold and silver (they MV 6, Sw 12; HD 2+1;hp 1(
dont understand the difference between 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1-6 (spear) (
silver and platinum) was a gift of the lizard SA Nil; SD Nil; Sz M (7 tall
mens god. each.
The PCs cannot have the statue. It belongs
to the lizard men now. Taking it would E. Deadly Darters
bring doom upon the village.
There is only one community of lizard men
in Blackweed Swamp, although this hunt-
ing band knows that small groups of lizard Looking about, you see the
men live scattered here and there in the lizard men. They have not be
swamp; these lizard men are not civilized probably not more than a day
and prefer the wilds to village life.
The hunting band has been out for two If the PCs examine the bodit
days now, and have not caught much more trace of wounds made by e
than giant snakes. Hunting has not been too weapons. However, there are I
good lately. Perhaps, if the PCs went away, much of the bodies and it is c
the hunting would improve. thing has been eating them. PC
These lizard men will not take the PCs to weapon proficiencies of Huni
their village, nor will they give the PCs direc- Lore realize that most of the
recent. Careful searching reveals that each Chala from the lizard men threat.
body has small fangs embedded in the legs. The two "adventurers" explain that they
The party of lizard men was killed while have been in the swamp for nearly a week
tracking a pair of fire lizards through a darter and have seen several bands of lizard men
lair. The darters were quick to kill the lizard hunting parties. They fought one such party
men. that contained more than two dozen lizard
If the PCs spend more than a few rounds in men. The battle was fierce, and in the end the
this area, the darters attack. adventurers won-but not before two of their
Darters prefer to attack from a distance, fir- number died. The pair states they buried their
ing a poison-covered fang. Victims struck by a friends to the west in the swamp.
fang must save vs. poison or become para- The adventurers have decided they want
lyzed for 4-16 rounds. Darters can fire 16 fangs nothing else to do with the lizard men, even
per day, one fang per round, for an effective though they know the Tefnut statue is in the
distance of 10'. lizard men village. The pair is simply too tired
The darters feast on immobilized victims, and too shocked over the death of their friends.
sucking their blood and causing 1-6 points of However, they will offer to draw a map show-
damage. These darters will take no more than ing the location of the lizard men village and
three drinks from any downed PC victims, will describe the layout of the buildings.
becoming full and wandering away. Further, the pair reports on the number of
There is nothing of value in the darter lair. lizard men in the village to give the PCs an
idea what they are up against. Of course, the
Darters (24): AL N; AC 8; MV 3; HD 1; hp 4 rakshasa "adventurers" underestimate the
each; THACO 19; #AT 1; Dmg 1-2; SA Para- population so the PCs will not be scared off.
lyzation; SD Nil; Sz T (1'-2' long); ML 16; The pair intends to leave the swamp now,
XP 120 each. and will not act as guides to the village. In
truth, they intend to discreetly follow the PCs
F. False Heroes to make sure they go to the lizard men village.
If the PCs become suspicious of the "adven-
turers," the pair drop their guise, revealing
The shrill cry of a crow cuts through the lizard men forms. They use entangle and invis-
damp air, sending smaller birds flying and ibility to cover their escape. They try to avoid
tiny lizards scampering into the water. using other spells, as they do not want the
"Who's there?" A hoarse voice demands. PCs to realize they are something other than
"Identify yourself!" another one shouts. lizard men. The rakshasas do not want to con-
You do not see the speakers, but you can front the PCs at this point, as they are hopeful
tell they are nearby. the PCs will attack the lizard men village.
No matter what the outcome of this en-
The speakers are a pair of rakshasas, using counter, the entire rakshasa party will now
their ESP abilities to pull familiar images from know of the PCs' presence.
the PCs' minds. The rakshasas will adopt the
forms of NPCs the characters have associated Rakshasa (2): AL LE; AC -4; MV 15; HD 7; hp
with, and will use a plausible excuse for being 37,38; THACO 13; #AT 3; Dmg 1-3/1-3/2-5;
in the swamp-looking for the statue in the SA Illusions, spells; SD +1or better weapon
hope of claiming a reward or trying to save to hit; ML 15; XP 4,000 each.

14
 Rakshasas have a form of ESP that allows
them to take the form of someone familiar to
their victims; they must drop the illusion as the front door. Only bits of rotted wood
when they attack. They are only hit by weap- hang from frames. Beyond the doors is
ons of +1 magic or better, and weapons of less darkness.
than +3 inflict only half damage. A hit by a
blessed crossbow bolt will immediately kill a
rakshasa. They are immune to all spells lower 2. Entering the building, (3 chill races up

than 8th level. Their spells are cast at 7th level. and down your spines. It is cool in here,
Rakshasa #1 wizard spells: Enlarge, grease, pro- unnaturally so it seems. This main room is
tectionfiom good, spider climb immense-and empty. N o t even the re-
Priest Spells: Cure light wounds, entangle, faerie mains of furniture can be seen. The walls
fire glisten with moisture and display worn
Rakshasa #2 wizard spells: Dancing lights, pro- mosaics. The floor, too, seems to have pat-
tection f r o m good, spook, ventriloquism, detect terns and designs in it, and appears just as
inziisibility, invisibility, whispering wind, fly wet as the rest of the room.
Priest spells: Cure light zuounds x2, invisibility
to animals Hisst was a L N god, and the very structure
of his temple radiates his alignment. PCs who
G. Temple Ruins are not lawful neutral, neutral or neutral good
suffer a -2 penalty to all combat rolls and sav-
ing throws while inside.
Through the dense underbrush, you see To see the wall mosaics, the PCs have to
what you believe is a stone building-or move farther into the room, which makes
part of one anyway. The structure looks old them accessible to the gray ooze, which ini-
and in disrepair. Vines cling to the cracked tially appears to be nothing more than glisten-
stone walls and crumbling columns. ing stone on the floor.

If the PCs come closer, they can tell that the Gray ooze (3): AL N; AC 8; M.V 1;HD 3+3; hp
building is immense. It is probably centuries 24,26,27; THACO 17; #AT 1; Dmg 2-16; SA
old, and it does not look inhabited. There is a Corrodes metal; SD Immune to spells and
bog near it. It will be challenging for the PCs to fire- and cold-based attacks; Sz L (12'); ML
reach the building because of the bog, which is 10; XI' 270 each.
6 feet deep. However, if they brave the terrain
and enter the building, refer to the half-page If the PCs defeat the ooze and scrape it
map. Although large, the building, which was away from the patterns on the floor, they find
once a temple, has only three rooms. a tiled image of a snake with ruby eyes coiled
The temple was built centuries ago to a about a crystal plate set into the floor. The
long-forgotten snake god named Hisst. plate and tiled snake radiate magic. If the
plate is removed from the floor and/or the
ruby eyes of the snake pulled out, the dweo-
1.Making your way through the bog you mer fades. Replacing the items will not restore
reach the collapsing steps. Small lizards the magic. Further, taking the plate is consid-
ered an affront to the god Hisst. A PC who
 p " . , . e,,*.* . y ( 1 L .. ~ (1 ' . *
....... ..... I-... I."
. --..
_I .......... .__._....
Y.I".(_.._"_ . .............. . . . . .

Temple Ruins

removes the plate will suffer a -1penalty to all the statue is, the god would reply something
combat rolls, saving throws, and ability checks like, "Surrounded by many with scaly hides,
for 72 hours. who are far beneath it."
The plate, although crystal, is as strong as Hisst is aware of all activities in the swamp,
metal. It is worth 800 gp. The ruby eyes are so careful questioning here could be beneficial
worth 2,000 gp each. to the PCs. However, questioning should not
The plate is an offering device to Hisst. Any reveal an answer containing the word "rak-
time a gem or piece of jewelry is placed on the shasa." Hisst would consider these creatures
plate, the item disappears and the offerer is "evil-spirit lizard men."
allowed to ask a question of the god. The
magic still works, even though none of Hisst's
worshipers remain alive. 3. A soft glow pervades this room. No
If one of the PCs places a gem or item of doubt it is the luminous fungus and moss
jewelry on the plate, he or she hears inside growing on the walls that are responsible
their head, "what question do you have of the for the light. Mosaics on the floor show
great and mighty Hisst?" Four such sacrifices masses of writhing snakes, all coiled about
can be made each day, resulting in four an- green-skinned men and women. In the cen-
swers. Hisst replies to each question in a sen- ter of the room, on an altar, are bones.
tence of no more than 12 words. The answers
are cryptic. For example, if the PCs ask where The bones are not the remains of a sacrifice.
Rather, the last Hisst priest died in this room, incarnation. If the spirit is being attacked, it
collapsing on the altar from starvation. He can strike and cause physical damage rather
refused to give up his religion. His spirit still than a spell effect.
haunts this room, and he will communicate The spirit's goal is to force the PC or PCs to
with anv PC who comes within 1 foot of the stay in this room, where he can expound for
altar. His spirit is a unique form of undead, all eternity on the teachings and blessings of
described below. If a PC approaches the altar, Hisst. To that end, the spirit's charms, com-
read the passage below. mands, and other spells will be to order the
affected character or characters to stay.
Killing a fervent spirit is only a temporary
You feel tingly all over-and warm. It is a matter, as the spirit will reform again in
pleasant sensation. A voice inside your another incarnation in 4d4 rounds to begin his
head speaks in friendly, relaxing tones. assault once more. The only way to put the
"Hisst will care for you," the voice undead to rest is to reduce it to 0 hit points or
relates. "Hisst cares for all those who walk less and bury its bones.
the wet, humid lands. Revel in Hisst's gen-
erosity. A secret door from this room leads to the final
"Fellow swamp dweller, do you know chamber of the temple. The door is not locked
the ways of Hisst?" or trapped and is easy to spot (+2) to all at-
tempts. However, because the stones have
If a PC answers yes, the spirit of the priest shifted during the past man). decades, it will
leaves him or her alone-not wanting to ex- require a combined Strength of 34 to open the
pend energy on someone already converted. door.
However, if the PC answers no, the spirit
attacks. If more than one PC is within 1 yard
4. The room beyond
of the altar, the spirit attacks each in turn. To
ously no one has entered this area in a very
attack, the spirit must rise from its bones as a
long time. It is dark, and the black moss
ghostly figure. This priest has chosen the form
that clings to the
of a striking snake. The spirit cannot move
the place feel gloomy
more than 40 feet from the altar, nor can itpirit
be turned.
The PCs will need a light Tource here. The
Fervent spirit (1):AL LN; AC -2; MV 12; HD 8; room is devoid of furnishings and creatures.
hp 64; THACO 13; #AT 1; Dmg Nil or 1-10; Characters searching for secrlet doors can find
SA Spells; SD Hit only by +1or better weap- a trap door in the floor. Opening the door
ons; Sz M (6' tall); MR 25%; ML 14; XI' reveals a rotted wooden ladder that descends
5,000. into water.
Spells: charm person, enthrall, hold person, The wooden ladder will not support more
ray of enfeeblement, suggestion, confusion, than 60 pounds at one time. Anyone using the
forcecage, and demand ladder who weighs more than that will fall 20
feet into the water below, suffering ld6 points
Each time the fervent spirit successfully of damage. After one fall, the ladder is broken.
strikes a target, it releases one of its spell The chamber below has 10 feet of stagnant
effects. It can use each spell once during an water in it. PCs braving the fetid water and
searching the bottom can find the priests Through the decades, the village expanded
treasure in rotting chests: 11,300 cp, 2,400 sp, a and the buildings became mare elaborate and
pearl necklace worth 1,200 gp, and a staff of the sturdy-and remained hidden from the hu-
serpent, ,adder, with 10 charges. man settlements. Though the lizard men
Characters who enter the stagnant water could tolerate humans, they had no desire to
are also subject to catching a disease because associate with them. The ori,ginal settlers of
of the germs and parasites. PCs in the water Fen considered humans too chaotic and un-
must save vs. poison at a -2 penalty (in addi- predictable.
tion to any other penalties they might have As the village grew, the lizard men estab-
picked up in the temple) or they catch a debil- lished a form of government based on wis-
itating disease. This disease slowly saps their dom and goals rather than brawn. The rulers
vitality; PCs SO affected suffer a temporary were chosen by the adults in the community,
loss of one point of Strength and Constitution and they led until they were too old or their
per day until a cure ,disease is cast on them. PCs plans began to harm the village.
who reach 0 Strength and/or 0 Constitution Today, the lizard men of Blackweed Swamp
die. remain a relatively peaceful people, but they
There are no other chambers and nothing are not tolerant of other races or creatures
else of value on this level. which ruin their hunting and fishing or
threaten the village. They still avoid the hu-
H. Village of the Lizard Men mans, including the fishermen and trappers
from Chala. They do not believe the humans
To reach the village of Fen, the PCs have to hunt or fish wisely, taking in fish that are
cross the river. There are places where the spawning and trapping lizards that have not
river is only 5 feet deep, so it is possible for reached maturity.
the PCs to simply ford it. Of the 90+ lizard men present in the village
Refer to the map for the layout of the vil- at any given time, the majority will be adults.
lage. The map includes only the major build- Use the following statistics. Note that these
ings; the thatched homes of the various lizard lizard men have average and above average
men families surround these buildings and intelligences.
are not detailed. The text below corresponds
to descriptions and contents of the important Lizard men (50): AL N; AC 4; MV 6, Sw 12;
buildings. HD 2+1; hp 11 each; W A C 0 19; #AT 1 or 3;
The village has a population of 168. How- Dmg by weapon or 1-2/1-2/1-6; SA Nil; SD
ever, because of the number of hunting and Nil; Sz M (7 tall); ML 14; XP 05 each.
fishing parties, only approximately 90 lizard
men will be in the village at any given time. These lizard men use shields and hurl
The village of Fen began more than 300 barbed darts (3 per round, 1d4. damage). In
years ago when a group of lizard men decided addition, they carry clubs which cause 2d4
to create a settlement similar to the human points of damage.
hamlets along the river. Tired of wandering, Ten of these lizard men act as sentries,
they wanted a base from which to fish and patrolling the outside of the village and keep-
hunt. The original layout of Fen matched the ing the community safe. If any trespassers or
nearest human community, which no longer dangerous creatures are noticed, the sentries
exists. blow horns, alerting the village.
Lizard men, young (29): AL N; AC 5; MV 6, Sw 12; HD 4; hp 32; THACO 17; #AT 1 or 3;
Sw 12; HD 2+1; hp 8 each; THACO 19; #AT Dmg by weapon or 1-2/1-2/1-6; SA Nil; SD
3; Dmg 1-2/1-2/1-6; SA Nil; SD Nil; Sz M Nil; Sz M (7 tall); ML 14; XI 120.
(4-7 tall); ML 14; XP 65 each.
The lizard man subleader carries a long
The young lizard men will fight if the vil- sword +2, shield +2 and two spears. He throws
lage seems in jeopardy. They carry spears his spears at obvious spell casters before clos-
which cause ld6 points of damage. ing to melee.

Lizard men patrol leaders (10): AL N; AC 4; Lizard man leader (1):AL N;AC -1 (bracers
MV 6, Sw 12; HD 2+1; hp 17 each; THACO and shield); MV 6, Sw 3 2; HD 6; h p 42;
19; #AT 1 or 3; Dmg by weapon or 1-2/1- THACO 15; #AT 1 or 3; Drng by weapon or
2/1-6; SA Nil; SD Nil; Sz M (7 tall); ML 14; 1-2/1-2/16; SA Nil; SD Nil; Sz M (7 tall);
XP 63 each. ML 14; XP 270.

The patrol leaders each carry a shield, long The lizard man leader sta;ys out of melee if
sword and two spears. The throw their spears possible. If forced to fight, however, he uses
before closing in to melee. the same tactics as his subleader. He wears
bracers of defense AC5, carries a shield +Z, and
Lizard man subleader (1):AL N; AC 2; MV 6, uses a long sword +2, black dragon slayer.

19
Lizard man lesser shaman (1):AL N; AC 4; Priest Spells: curse, command,fneriefire
MV 6, Sw 12; HD 3 (P3);hp 16; THACO 18;
#AT 1 or 3; Dmg by weapon or 1-2/1-2/1-6; The rakshasa is a spy in the village, ac-
SA Spells; SD Nil; Sz M (7 tall); ML 14; XP cepted as a newcomer desiring a home. He
175. has been posing as a budding shaman while
Spells: cure light wounds, entangle, charm person he spies for the rajah. His goal is to make sure
or mavrrmal the lizard men fight any humans who come
from Chala and nearby communities. To that
This shaman carries a shield, spear +I, mace end, he has been sowing seeds of discontent
+1, and barbed darts for throwing. In melee, with the villages youths by suggesting that
he casts entangle and charm person or mammal the humans want to fight the lizard men and
before hurling darts and his spear and closing eventually destroy the village.
for melee. If, during the course of the PCs time in the
village, there is a fight between the PCs and
Lizard man greater shaman (1):AL N; AC 4; the lizard men, the rakshasa will hide and
MV 6, Sw 12; HD 5 (P5); hp 25; THACO 15; observe the outcome.
#AT 1 or 3; Dmghy weapon or 1-2/1-2/1-6; If the PCs kill the entire village of lizard
SA Spells; SD Nil; Sz M (7 tall); ML 14; XI? men, the rakshasa flees to inform the rajah
650. that the humans must be killed immediately
Spells: cornmand, cuw light wounds, faerie fire,. before they return to Chala.
hold person, heat metal, silence 15 radius, cure If the lizard men kill the PCs, the rakshasa
disease spy is satisfied and notifies the rajah that one
more band of adventurers from Chala has
The head shaman prefers to stay in the been eliminated.
background where he can cast spells. His pre- If, however, the PCs talk with the lizard
ferred magical assault begins with silence, 15 men and learn they are not the cause of Chalas
radius on an obvious spell caster, followed by woes, the rakshasa spy leaves the village
heat metal ton a fighter in armorfaeriefire on as immediately and reports to the rajah. There,
many enemies as possible and hold person and the rakshasas put into motion plans to kill the
command on a fighter. PCs. Refer to the rakshasa section for more
information.
Lizard man acolyte (1>:AL N; AC 4; MV 6, Sw The rakshasa spy is convincing in his guise
12; HD 2 (Pl);hp 12; THACO 18; #AT 1or 3; as a lizard man. Virtually the only way the
Dmg by weapon or 1-2/1-2/1-6; SA Spells; PCs can locate him is by casting know align-
SD Nil; Sz M (7 tall); ML 14; XP 175. ment. This will only tell the PCs he is evil; it
Spells: CUYE light wounds x3 will not reveal his true nature. If the spy
believes he is in jeopardy, he will use his abili-
Spy (rakshasa in lizard man guise) (1):AL LE; ties in an attempt to escape.
AC -4; MV 15; HD 7;hp 38; THACO 13; #AT
3; Dmg 1.-3/ 1-3/ 2-5; SA Illusions, spells; SD Entering The Village
+l or better weapon to hit; Sz M (7);ML 15;
XP 4,000. When the player characters near the village
Wizard spells: dancing lights, protection from of Fen, read the following:
good, spook, wall of fog

20

---.------
 Through the moss-draped trees you see a Attacking the Villase
village. It rests at the fork in the river.
This could be a deadly move for the PCs.
Thatched buildings and some buildings
While the lizard men are not their equals as
made of stone sit in the center of a clearing
fighters or spell casters, they have consider-
in the swamp. Farther out from the clear-
able numbers on their side.
ing you see smaller thatched buildings
The first wave of lizard men to attack will
along the bases of the trees. A few of the
be the adults. If 20 or more of the adults fall,
thatched buildings are built in the trees
the youths consider the village in jeopardy
along the lowest branches. and join the melee.
Milling about the buildings in the clear- The shaman attempt to stay out of melee at
ing are lizard men. You can see a f e w first, using their spells to help the lizard men
dozen. Some of them are small for lizard fighters.
men, about 4 feet in height. Obviously chil- The leader stays out of melee until the very
dren, they scamper about playing a game. end.
In the middle of the clearing stands a totem. If the PCs are defeated, the lizard men cap-
It is the trunk of a large tree, and it has ture any survivors and release them, weapon-
lizard visages cut into it. Garish colors are less, into the heart of the svramp. The lizard
painted on the faces. What catches your men tend to their wounded and return to life
attention is what rests atop the totem-an as usual.
ornament of gold and silver. If the lizard men are defeated, the PCs are
free to search the main buildings and question
The PCs will have to move closer to see any surviving lizard men. Refer to the Lizard
what the ornament is-the statue of Tefnut. If Men Information section for what the PCs can
they get too close, the lizard men sentries are learn.
alerted to the PCs presence and sound a
horn. If this happens, all the lizard men in the Keeping the Peace
village grab weapons and prepare for a possi-
ble confrontation. If the PCs enter the village peacefully, they
Note, however, that the lizard men in the are escorted by each building and past the
village do not start such a confrontation. The totem to the leaders hut. If they speak lizard
lizard men will not start a fight unless they man, they can pick up bits 2nd pieces of the
are pushed into it. information presented in the Lizard Men Infor-
Determine what the PCs are doing. It is mation section. As the group passes the totem,
possible they might decide to position them- describe the statue of Tehut on top; now that
selves and attack. If this is the course they the PCs are closer they can identify the statue
take, the lizard men rally to protect the village as being made of platinum and gold. If the PCs
and fight to the death. ask the lizard men escorts (aboutthe statue,
If the PCs attempt to enter the village peace- they reply simply that it is a gift of their god.
fully, the lizard men allow them in-provided If at any point while walking in the village
the PCs keep their weapons sheathed. In this the PCs take the statue, the lizard men attack,
case, the PCs will be escorted to the lizard considering the PCs actions blasphemy.
man leader. Eventually, the PCs arc escorted to the
lizard man leader where they are given food,
 Village of Fen

water and are allowed to rest and ask more 2. Armory: This building is made of stone and
detailed questions. Refer to the leaders build- wood, and has a thatched roof. It is well main-
ing in the text below. tained, and has a sturdy wooden door. Two
lizard men are always stationed on the porch
1.School: This large thatched building has a of this building to make sure the villages
wooden porch with three benches on it. It is youths do not get inside and play with the
well maintained, and the trim around the win- weapons. The building has three small rooms.
dows and ]doorway is painted a deep green. The largest is where weapons and shields are
Inside the building are several more benches, repaired, and there is frequently up to four
evenly spaced. They face a large, ornately- lizard men in here working on the arms. A
carved chair at the front of the room. second room is for the storage of weapons in
During the day, 20 of the lizard men youths good condition, and the third is for the stor-
will be in this building. They are taught by age of shields.
one of the oldest lizard men in the village. The There are a total of 230 spears, 180 clubs,
youths learn about the swamp and its crea- 700 barbed darts, 10 long swords, 8 short
tures, the history of Fen, and are taught the swords and 4 maces. In addition, there are
rudiments of Common. Only the youths and a 95 large wooden shields, 10 small wooden
few of the elders know the Common tongue, shields, 12 large metal shields, and 3 small
as teaching it is a new practice. Most of the metal shields.
adults speak only lizard man.
3. Sup Hall: This building is similar in build- A crudely painted image of the lizard mens
ing materials to the armory. Large ferns grow god is on the floor of the hall.
on either side of the buildings front door, If the PCs are not hostile to the lizard men,
which is always open. The building has two and if it appears any of them are injured, they
side doors and several windows. will be brought to the temple and healed by
Although most of the lizard men eat at the shaman. Any PC so cured will be asked to
home with their families, many of the young make a donation of a weapon or item of value
lizard men like to eat and socialize here. This to the community.
hall is also used for village meetings and reli-
gious activities. 5. Training Hall: This structure consists of sev-
Several large, ornately carved cedar tables eral posts, the trunks of long-dead ebonwood
and benches fill the room. The tables are trees, and a thatched roof stretched over them.
clearly old, and the tops are worn and cov- Inside, the villages youths are taught how to
ered with small grooves made by the claws of fight with their claws and teeth, how to use
the lizard men. These tables once filled the swords, spears, and other weapons, and how
main room of the temple of Hisst. However, to defend themselves against various crea-
decades ago lizard men appropriated them, tures and men.
along with other furnishings. During the day, 2d12 youths and two patrol
At meal times there are 3d8 lizard men leaders will be here.
here. Otherwise, only ld6 lizard men are pre- If the PCs have been cordial to the lizard
sent. men and stop at the hall, they will be asked to
give a fighting demonstration. The patrol
4. Worship Hall: The exterior of this building leaders ask two of the PCs tot fight each other
makes it stand out from the rest of the struc- with the flats of their blades to demonstrate
tures in the village. The hall is made of ebon- human (or demihuman) combat techniques. If
wood, a charcoal black wood that only grows the PCs do not comply, the youths hiss at
far to the north of here. Decades ago stands of them and brand them cowards.
ebonwood trees stood in Blackweed Swamp. If the PCs agree, following their demonstra-
However, the Fen lizard men cut the trees tions, one of the patrol leaders asks to fight
down and used them in the construction of one of the PCs bare-handed. If a PC agrees and
the hall. wins, the students cheer and quickly accept
Even the floor and roof of the hall are made the PCs. If a PC refuses to participate, the stu-
of ebonwood. When wet, which is often in the dents hiss. The use of magic in any fight is
swamp, the building shines like an onyx gem- frowned on; PCs caught using magic will be
stone. hissed at and shunned by the students and the
One of the lizard men shaman can be found patrol leaders.
inside the hall at any given time paying
homage to the god Semuanya. In fact, the 6. Lesser Shamans Hut: This is perhaps the
acolyte sleeps in an area at the back of the simplest structure in the village of Fen. It is no
hall. more than a thatched, one-room hut. The
The furnishings are simple, yet elegant- shaman elected to live modestly, taking over
large chairs and polished wooden benches- the fishers storage and giving the fishermen
and all of them supplied by the temple of the abode he inherited.
Hisst. There is a 50% chance the lesser shaman

23
will be here, unless the PCs already encoun- will be here, unless the PCs already encoun-
tered him at the worship hall. tered him at the worship hall or leaders
home.
7. Greater Shamans Hut: One of the more
impressive homes in Fen, this lizard mans 8. Subleaders Hut: Similar in size to the
building is decorated on the outside with iron greater shamans hut, this structure has the
candelabra, worn tapestries, and brass plates, skulls of animals ringing it.
all hammered into the wooden walls. These There is only a 25% chance the subleader
items were taken decades ago from the tem- will be here at any given time. He is usually
ple of Hisst, and the greater shaman at that found at the leaders home or the hunters
time decided to put some of the objects out- hall.
side his hut as evidende that the lizard mens
god Semuanya is greater. 9. Totem: Perhaps the most impressive piece
The shamans greatest treasure is hidden of woodcraft in the village, the totem rises 20
behind a false stone in the wall-his beads of feet above the marshy ground.
divination. There are six beads in a small box. The faces of lizard men are carved into the
Swallowing one is the equivalent of casting a polished post and it is evident that parts of the
divination spell. post are newer than others. Each visage, which
There is a 50% chance the greater shaman will not seem much different to the PCs, is the
face of a Fen leader. When the current leader
dies, his visage will be carved and placed on
top of the totem. There are currently 16 faces
in the totems. All of the faces have paint on
them, with the oldest faces at the bottom hav-
ing worn and cracked paint.
On top of the totem rests the gold and plat-
inum statue of Tefnut. When it was discov-
ered on top of the totem one morning, the
greater shaman convinced the leader and the
rest of the village that it was a gift from the
lizard mens god and that it held some signifi-
cance that must be discovered.
The lizard men have not yet discovered that
significance. They will not allow the PCs to
take the statue unless the PCs can prove that
the lizard mens god did not put it there. They
want to know just who put the statue on the
totem. That will likely mean the PCs will have
to uncover the rakshasas plot and share the
information with the lizard men of Fen.
If the PCs attempt to steal the statue and are
seen by any lizard men, the entire village
moves to attack. See the Village Population
section earlier.

24
10. Well: When Fen was built, the first settlers sidered an honor.
constructed a sturdy stone well because the There is a 50% chance the leader will be
human village they patterned Fen after had here at any given time. Otherwise, he is wan-
one. dering about Fen. If the leader is here, there is
There is no bucket and rope for the well, a 25% chance the subleader and the greater
and it is filled with fetid marsh water. shaman will be here also.
The leader is middle-aged for a lizard man
11. Fishers Storage: Formerly the lesser and is a veteran fighter. He is wise, slow to
shamans home, this wooden and thatched anger, and quick to defend the village and any
building with a hole in the roof contains a lizard men in it.
variety of weighted nets and spears. This is the If the PCs have been cordial, he will agree
equipment used by the lizard men assigned to to meet with them on his porch.
fish for the community. In the center of the
room is a stone oven where some of the fish Lizard Men Information
are smoked to keep longer.
If the PCs did not act hostile toward the
12. Hunters Hall: Much more impressive on lizard men, they can gain the following infor-
the inside and out than the fishers storage, mation through questioning.
the hunters hall is filled with the skulls of If the PCs attacked the village, won, and
animals. The floor of the building is covered question survivors, they will learn bits and
with the skins of jaguars and large lizards. pieces of the following information.
The wall opposite the entrance has the skin of The village of Fen has been at this juncture
a young black dragon hanging on it. of the Leal River for many generations.
At any given time there are ld10 lizard men During that time, the lizard men have never
in here swapping amazing hunting stories. started a fight against the human settle-
If the PCs have been accepted by the lizard ments or against the goblins who lived in
men, and they come to this building, they will the swamps decades ago.
be asked to share their own hunting stories. However, the lizard men have no qualms
The lizard men will not converse with them about attacking people who first attack
unless the PCs comply. In turn, the lizard men them or who menace the village or their
will relate their stories-which are much hunting and fishing.
grander than the PCs, regardless of whether Fens leader, subleader, and a few of the
they are true. patrol leaders spy on Chala from time to
time just to make sure the community is
13. Leaders Home: A wooden porch circles staying peaceful.
this building. Vines and mosses cling to the Fens layout is based on a human commu-
walls, making it impossible to tell what the nity the lizard men founders observed gen-
building is made of without scraping the erations ago.
plants away. There are patches of living swamp (algoids)
The building is made of wood and stone and moving trees. These things are danger-
and is the oldest one in Fen. It was originally ous and should be avoided. The subleader
created as a meeting hall, and as the village can show the PCs on their map the location
grew, it was passed into the hands of Fens of these trees.
leader. Being invited to the building is con- Fen residents accept the presence of hu-

25
 mans near the swamp, but they do not think home, brings forth two of the bends ofdivina-
humans know how to trap and fish prop- tion and offers to swallow them for the party
erly. They consider the humans wasteful in exchange for a magical donation to him.
and foolish. Do not go easy on the PCs here. The shaman
A group of young Fen lizard men believe wants one permanent magical item for each
the humans are to blame for the poor hunt- bead swallowed. He will not accept potions or
ing in the swamp. Not only are they trap- scrolls. If the PCs make the donation, he will
ping lizards that are immature, but they are swallow the beads, or allow them to.
scaring away the larger game. These youths If the PCs are careful with their questions,
wish the Fen leader would take some force- they could learn about their foes and how to
ful action against the Chalans. prepare to face them.
A few of the lizard men have witnessed If the PCs have been cordial to the lizard
strange things in the swamp lately-lights men in the village, they will be invited to stay
that dance just above the ground, then dis- the night. They can sleep in the Sup Hall. The
appear, and pairs of lizard men who avoid lizard men want them to leave in the morn-
Fen. ing, as they believe it is not good for the youth
The pairs of lizard men have traveled north- of the village to have too much contact with
west and have avoided any attempts to talk humans. In the morning, the PCs will be
to Fen hunting parties. Perhaps if the hu- provided dried fish and fresh water and sent
mans of Chala have had some trouble with
lizard men, it is with that rogue band.
The small statue on top of the totem was
placed there as an omen by the lizard men's
god.
Nearly the entire community knows about
the ruined temple in the swamp. It was ded-
icated to some lowly human snake-god,
who was not as powerful as the lizard men's
god. The temple was in disrepair before Fen
was born. They will provide directions to
the ruins.
The greater shaman could perhaps help the
PCs. He has powerful magic at his control
and will use it to aid them in their quest-if
it means they will get out of the swamp
sooner and leave the lizard men alone.
There are dangerous creatures in the
swamp, including a dragon that breathes
flames (a pyrohydra.) The lizard men can
give precise directions to the "dragon."

If the PCs ask the greater shaman's help, he

explains that the magic he employs is indeed
powerful, and very costly. He returns to his

2G
on their way. The izard men will not act as the wisps attack. The will 0 wisps believe
guides for the PCs. they are still fulfilling their bargain with the
rakshasas by keeping trespassers away. The
1. Swamplight wisps prefer to kill any humans, taking what-
ever treasure they find and not worrying
There are severa 1s marked on the DMs about sharing it with the rakshasas.
map. This is because the will 0 wisps move Prior to any melee, the will 0 wisps turn
around between several locations. The PCs out their lights, leaving themselves invisible.
can encounter the will 0 wisps more than Repositioning themselves, they attack in an
once if the creatures are left alive following a effort to gain surprise.
melee. The PCs should not encounter the
wisps more than three times. It is most appro- Will 0 wisp (3):AL CE; AC .-8;MV F1 18 (A);
priate to use these encounters at dusk or in HD 9; hp 45,46,48; THACO 11;#AT 1; Dmg
the evening. 2-16; SA Special; SD Special; MR Only the
spells maze, protection f r o m evil and magic
missile effect a wisp; Sz S (2); ML 17; XP
The foliage thickens, blotting out the light 3,000 each.
from the stars (or sun) overhead and throw-
ing the swamp into a murky gloom. If the wisps fight the PCs, ,aftertwo rounds
Peering through the heavy underbrush one of the wisps breaks away from combat and
you see the soft glow of three lights. It is flies to warn the rakshasas that experienced
difficult to tell how far away they are. They adventurers are in the swamp. This third wisp
move along, roughly at eye level, and they is considered out of the rest of the combat.
are bobbing slowly. After a few moments If the PCs manage to bring the two remain-
you can tell they are moving away from ing wisps down to five hit points or less, the
you. will 0 wisps beg for mercy, offering the PCs
treasure or something much more valuable.
If the PCs do not go to the lights (which are, If the PCs agree, the wisps give them their
of course, the will 0 wisps), the lights come to choice. If the PCs decide to take the treasure,
them. they receive a dagger +I, cloak of protection +I,
The will 0 wisps work for the rakshasas in potion of rainbow hues, potion offlying, potion of
an unusual agreement. The wisps keep tres- clairvoyance, black pearl bracelet worth 1,500
passers from getting into rakshasa territory, gp, jade bracelet worth 450 gp, and a small
preferably by steering them to the lizard men, velvet bag containing 30 gold pieces (the gold
and the rakshasas pay them with gold and pieces are very old and are worth double their
jewels. The will 0 wisps are not entirely face value to a collector).
happy with the arrangement, as they would If the PCs ask for something much more
rather the rakshasas find another swamp to valuable, the wisps tell them:
live in. However, they believe working for the
evil spirits is safer than working against them.
If the trespassers do not follow the wisps to Lizard men are what you seek, if you are
the lizard men, or to the hydras if they already searching for what brings woe to the
have been to the village, the wisps attempt to humans who live near the swamp. But
lead them into bogs or quicksand. If this fails,

27
 decided to leave for safer territory.
lizard men they are not. Your adversaries No matter the outcome of this encounter,
are far more powerful than the man-lizards the rakshasas know about the PCs' presence
that dwell in the village of Fen. Their skin and will send a false lizard inen hunting
is but a mask. Your adversaries are evil party, as detailed at letter "F," to lure the PCs
incarnate. to the lizard men village or the hydras. If the
Kill them and you'll free the swamp. But PCs already killed the false adventuring party
the killing shall not be an easy thing, and at F, use another party of the same strength,
you could be the ones who die. but with a different selection of spells.
Look to the grove of dead willows. They
are nearby.
j. Headed For Danger
The will 0' wisps will provide no more infor- If the PCs did not attack the lizard men vil-
mation, no matter how persistent the PCs are. lage, and discovered the lizard inen were not
The wisps fear the rakshasas and worry that responsible for the raid on Chala, the rakshasa
even giving that little bit of information could spy or the false hunting party will try to lead
spell their own doom. the PCs here.
If the wisps relayed information hinting at Once close enough to rouse the hydra, the
the rakshasas' whereabouts, the PCs will not rakshasas will use their abilities to escape,
encounter the wisps again. The wisps have leaving the PCs to deal with the monster.

28
 It is also possible the PCs will discover the the fire-breathing dragon from the lizard men
hydra themselves, simply by wandering in in Fen.
the swamp.
This hvdra begins with eight heads and can Hydra (1):AL N; AC 5; MV 9; HD 9; h p 72;
attack with up to four of them against a single THACO 12; #AT 9; Dmg 1-10; SA Nil; SD
foe. For every eight points of damage the Nil; Sz G (30 long); ML 10; XP 2,000.
hydra suffers, one of its heads is assumed to
be cut off. For every head that is cut off, two This hydra has nine heads and can attack
more grow to take its place, up to a maximum with up to four of them against a single foe.
of 12 total heads. The heads regrow in 1-4 For every eight points of damage the hydra
rounds. The only way to avoid the regenera- suffers, one of its heads is assumed to be cut
tion is to quickly burn the stump. Attacks off. Attacks against the hydras body have no
against this hydras body have no effect;all of effect unless the damage inflicted is equal to
its heads must be cut off simultaneously to the creatures original hit points; all of its
kill the hvdra. heads must be cut off at once to kill the hydra.
The creatures combat tactics are simple-
fight to the death. Pyrohydra (1):AL N; AC 5; MV 9; HD 8; hp
The hydra has no treasure, as it was taken 61; THACO 12; #AT 8; Dmg 1-10; SA Nil; SD
by the rakshasas weeks ago. Nil; Sz G (30 long) ML 10; XP 3,000.
If the PCs search the hydras territory and
make a successful Tracking proficiency roll, This hydra has eight heads and can attack a
they discover lizard men tracks. A second single foe with up to four of them. Each head
successful check indicates there were two can breathe a gout of flame twice a day that is
lizard men. 5 feet wide and 20 feet long. The flame causes
8 points of damage (save vs. breath weapon
Lernaean hydra (1):AL N; AC 5; MV 9; HD 8; for half damage). Heads which breathe flame
h p 64; THACO 12; #AT 8; Dmg 1-10; SA cannot bite that round. For every eight points
Extra heads; SD Extra heads; Sz G (30 of damage the hydra suffers, one of its heads is
long); ML 9; XP 3,000. assumed to be cut off. All of its heads must be
cut off to kill the hydra. All attacks against this
K. Double Danger hydras body have no effect unless the dam-
age equals the creatures original hit points.
When the PCs survive the attack of the If the PCs defeat the hydras and search
hydra, the rakshasas become concerned that around their lair, they discover a wealth of
the rajahs plans could be dashed. They next treasure. Taking it out of the swamp is
attempt to lead the PCs to the lair of some- another matter, however, as there is a lot of it.
thing even worse. The rakshasas are certain The treasure includes: 20,000 cp, 15,000 sp, a
this will end the threat of the PCs without shattered tiara worth 300 gp, a broken sil-
dirtying their own claws to finish off the vered long sword with pearl:; in the pommel
heroes. worth 400 gp, a small box filled with three
As in the other hydra encounter, it is possi- vials (potion of healing, potion of clairaudience,
ble the PCs will encounter these creatures poison (class G ) ) ,three scroll tubes (one
simply by wandering in Blackweed Swamp. empty, one with the wizard spells magic mis-
They may elect to come here if they heard of sife,friends, unseen servant, and one with the

29
priest spells bless, protection from evil, magical continue with his plans to have the lizard men
stone), a crossbow with silver inlaid designs and humans exterminate themselves; then he
worth 300 gp, a dozen quarrels (three of them will own the swamp.
quarrels +I), and a beautiful cherry wood long If it appears the PCs will win the battle with
bow worth 90 gp, a dozen arrows, (two of the rakshasas, two fight to the death while the
them arrows +I). third attempts to escape to prepare the rajah.
There are no lizard men tracks immediately Captured lizard men reveal no information.
next to the hydras lair. However, checking However, it should be obvious to the PCs
farther away from the lair the PCs find more these are not lizard men. Using speak with dead
lizard men tracks and the tracks of basilisks. could confirm just what these creatures are
and reveal their plans for eliminating the
Finding the Rakshasas humans and lizard men. This information
should not come easily, as the dead rakshasas
Eventually, if the PCs put the clues together, will not want the rajahs plans ruined.
they will come close to the rakshasas terri-
tory. Of course, they might still believe they Rakshasa (3):AL LE; AC -4; MV 15; HD 7; hp
are dealing only with lizard men, which could 35,38,42; THACO 13; #AT 3; Dmg 1-3/1-
be their downfall. 3/2-5; SA Illusions, spells; SD +1 or better
If the rakshasas know the PCs have learned weapon to hit; ML 15; XP 4,000 each.
the Fen lizard men are innocent and that the
PCs could not be killed by the hydras and will Rakshasa #1 wizard spells: enlarge, grease, pro-
0 wisps, they will deal with the adventurers tectionfiorn good, spider climb
themselves. They begin by sending a party of Priest Spells: cure light wounds, entangle, faerie
lizard men to meet the PCs before the PCs fire
come upon the rakshasa lair. This is to protect Rakshasa #2 wizard spells: dancing lights, pro-
the rajah. Initially, these lizard men act affa- tection from good, spook, ventriloquism, detect
ble to the PCs, hoping to strike when the invisibility, invisibility, whispering wind, f l y
heroes guard is down. Priest spells: cure light wounds x2, invisibility to
Rakshasas have a form of ESP that allows animals
them to take the form of someone familiar to Rakshasa #3 wizard spells: burning hands, color
their victims; they must drop the illusion spray, detect magic, magic missile, blur, f o g
when they attack. They are only hit by weap- cloud, web, hold person, suggestion
ons of +1 or better, and weapons of less than Priest spells: entangle, pass without trace, protec-
+3 inflict only half damage. A hit by a blessed tion from good
crossbow bolt will immediately kill a rak-
shasa. They are immune to all spells lower 1. lair of the Rajah
than 8th level. Their spells are cast at 7th level.
Two of the rakshasas have boots of varied If the PCs have followed the leads, or sim-
tracks. ply wandered to this spot, they will face the
The lizard men begin their assault with two most powerful rakshasas in Blackweed
spells, including protection fYom good, hold per- Swamp. If the PCs fought the three rakshasas
son,faeriefire and entangle. They continue their above, and one escaped to warn the ruhk and
assault, then close for melee. rajah, the pair will be expecting guests.
If the rakshasas are victorious, the rajah will This is a very deadly encounter, and if the

30
PCs are not careful and prepared, they could they remember very little about the past
easily die. few days.
These spirits are crafty and will use their
magical items to their best effect and their Other plausible stories can certainly be con-
E S P power to pull a familiar form from the cocted based on specific events that have
PCs minds. No matter the form taken, the occurred thus far.
rakshasas will appear convincing and will If the PCs seem to buy the NPCs stories,
attempt to lull the PCs into a false sense of the rakshasas wait for positioning and evalu-
security, then striking when the moment is ate the PCs strengths and we,aknesses.How-
right. They can use their illusion spells, such ever, if the PCs do not seem to believe their
as spectmlfouce, to help convince the PCs. Pos- story, the rakshasas drop their guise immedi-
sible stories include: ately and begin casting spells. The rakshasas
The PCs friends were searching the swamp think they have little to fear from the PCs
for the lizard men. They havent found because the rakshasas are immune to most
them, but theyve discovered living trees spells.
and a hydra. As in other encounters, these rakshasas
They were spirited here by some great appear as lizard men when in their real forms
lizard man shaman. He seems to have aban- -however, they are dressed im fine, brocade
doned them in the swamp to die. robes sprinkled with ornate bead work.
They have no idea how they got here, and
Greater rakshasa, ruhk (1):AL LE; AC -5; MV Spell Assault
18; HD 8+16; hp 60; THACO 11;#AT 3; Dmg
1-6/1-6/2-10; SA Illusions; SD +2 or better The rajah begins by casting fireball on the
weapon to hit; ML 17; XP 7,000. greatest number of PCs possible. He does not
care if the ruhk is caught in the effect, as the
Magical items: dust of disappearance ( 2 uses), ruhk is immune to the spell. This fireball
spear +3, and a potion of giant control causes 11d6 points of damage, save for half.
Wizard spells: Audible glamer, chill touch, danc- At the same time the ruhk casts lightning bolt
ing lights, ventriloquism, Melfs acid arrow, on as many PCs as possible, for 9d6 points of
mirror image, summon swarm, lightning bolt, damage, save for half.
spectral force In subsequent rounds, the rajah casts ice
Priest spells: Cure light wounds, invisibility to storm, heat metal, web and others as appropri-
animals, pass without trace ate; the ruhk casts summon swurm, Melfs acid
urrow and others.
Greater rakshasa, rajah (1):AL LE; AC -5; MV If the PCs defeat the rakshasas, they can
18; HD 8+16; hp 73; THACO 11;#AT 3; Dmg search the area and find the lair, an under-
1-6/1-6/2-10; SA Illusions; SD +2 or better ground cave in the most stable ground theyve
weapon to hit; ML 17; XP 7,000. seen in the swamp. The rakshasas lair is filled
with the bones of human and lizard men vic-
Magical items: Robe of blending, javelin of light- tims, and treasure: 10,245 cp, 2,300 sp, a silver
ning, and a potion offire breath necklace worth 800 gp, sapphire ring worth
Wizard spells: Color spray, dancing lights, phan- 1,400 gp, a brass belt buckle decorated with
tasmal force, unseen servant, darkness 15 black pearls and engraved with the words, I
radius, detect invisibility, web, f l y , spectral Fight For Glory, worth 850 gp, gold ring
force,fireball, improved invisibility, ice storm worth 210 gp, gold ring of feather fulling, and a
Priest spells: Animal friendship, command, detect phylactery of faithfulness.
magic,faeriefire, pas4 without trace, charm per-
son or mammal, heat metal, silence 15 radius, Resolution
speak with animals, trip, cause disease, curse,
stone shape If the PCs return victorious to Chala, they will
be hailed as heroes. If the PCs regained the
The rakshasas have a form of E S P that al- statue, the people will cheer and begin mak-
lows them to take the form of someone famil- ing plans to take gifts to the lizard men vil-
iar to their victims; they must drop the illusion lage. The Chalans want to make peace with
when they attack. They are only hit by weap- their neighbors and apologize for any wrong
ons of +2 or better, and weapons of less than thoughts.
+4 inflict only half damage. A successful hit As promised, the PCs will be rewarded
by a blessed crossbow bolt will immediately with a share of the citys profits. It is up to the
kill a rakshasa. PCs if they want to accept the award.
The ruhk casts his spells AT 9th level, the
rajah at 11th. Both are immune to all spells
lower than 8th level.

32
 Players' Map

&s
1. .

.:"

I
L
 .- 1

Ofitcial Game F

T h e citv of Chala, nestled banks of

the Leal river, has prospered for generations.
B u t now t h e city faces misfortune, pestilence,
and decay, because t h e icon which brought it
prosperity has been stolen. All t h e clues sug-
gest t h a t the sacred object was carried into
t h e heart of nearby Blackweed Swamp. But
who, or what, would commit such a crime?
Whoever is responsible, t h e statue must be re-
covered, a t any cost.
re heroes who can face t h e horrors
of t h e s w a m p and reclaim t h e precious
statue? Are they clever enough t o unravel a
scheme far more sinister than simple theft?
Or will they, like others before them, be lured into the clutches of some
terrible evil inhabiting t h e gloomy marsh and disappear forever?

"1

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